A Change for the Better
by Tamashii Hime
Summary: Darien finally decides he is sick of the way he and Serena interact and decides to do something about it... Serena will never know what hit her! :-) CHAPTER TWO IS UP! yay for me :-) RR please...
1. Chapter One News of the Year

Title: Untitled… (currently 'a change for the better')

Summary:  Darien gets tired of the way here and Serena interact and decides to change things…

Rating:  PG-13

AN:  This story does not yet have a title… that will eventually change, suggestions are welcome!!!

AN2:  I don't intend for this to be a long fic… I'm working on a few long ones at the moment, hopefully this'll be short and sweet :)

Disclaimer:  I do not own any of the SM related characters, places, events, etc… they belong to their various owners… you all know who they are :-) 

Please, please review…

**_Untitled_**

**_(currently – _****_'a change for the better'_****_)_**

_ - _ - _ - _

**{{ Chapter One }}**

News of the Year!

{Narrator's Point of View}

"Did you hear?"  Asked the raven-haired girl as she slipped through the doors and into the arcade.

"Hear what?"  Asked her companion.

"Obviously not."  She said with a smile.  "It's the biggest news for weeks."  Laughing, she dragged her friend to the booth where the rest of their friends were waiting.

"Come on Raye.  I'm going to die if you don't tell me.  You've got me interested now."

Laughing, she plonked into the booth and pulled her friend in beside her.  Turning to the other girls she said, "I was just about to tell Lita the biggest news of the week.  No, make that the year."

"Oh, and what was that?"  Asked one of the booths earlier occupants. Lifting her eyes from the book she was reading, she looked directly at Raye, a smile playing about her lips.  "You certainly have Lita excited."

"That's right Amy."  Agreed Raye.  "Anyway," she began again in a stage whisper as she lent forward, urging the others to do so as well.  "I heard that Darien likes Serena."

"What?!?!"  Exclaimed three totally stunned girls, each completely forgetting that they were supposed to be quiet.

"A little more stealth guys…" murmured Raye.  Eyes lighting with mischief, she conceded, "that was my reaction too when I first heard."

"Where did you hear that from?"

"Well Mina, remember when I was talking to Andy yesterday before you left.  Well… he told me then."

"What?"  Asked Mina again, keeping her voice a little lower this time.  "Are you saying I could have had this goss had I waited around for a few more minutes?"

"That's right."  Answered Raye with a smile.

Shaking her head, Amy tried to clarify the information.  "So, Andrew said that Darien likes Serena."

"Yes."

Lita then jumped in with, "wouldn't they make a cute couple."

"Awwwwwww."  Came the collective sigh from the table of girls.

"You know," began Mina, "Sere likes Darien.  She told me so, once.  Kind of accidentally."

"And you didn't tell us???"  Exclaimed Amy.

Shrugging her shoulders she smiled.  "Couldn't… sorry.  She would have killed me."

"So."  Said Lita, rubbing her hands together, she asked.  "How are we going to get them together."

Laughing, Raye answered, "that's the best bit.  We don't have to."  At the stunned, confused looks on her friend's faces she continued hurriedly.  "That's what Andy was telling me.  Dare's decided that although he enjoys arguing with Sere he's had enough.  For the moment at least.  He's going to make a move… or something today."

"Today?"  Asked Mina with a delighted gasp.

Looking at her watch, Amy smiled.  "He should be here any moment.  Then we just have to wait for Sere."

_ - _ - _ - _

{Darien's Point of View}

Walking through the arcade doors, I was a little surprised to see the heads of all four of the girls look up and stare at me intently, all of them smiling.  Nodding to them a little nervously, I carefully threaded my way over to the counter.  'I don't know what's got them in the mood they're in,' I thought to myself.  And suddenly it hit me.  "Andrew…" I muttered.

"Yes?"  Asked my best friend, appearing in front of me.  Motioning me onto the stool, he passed me a drink.  "What's up Dare?"

"You told them didn't you?"

"Huh, you're not making sense man.  Told who, what?"

"The girls."  I said, leaning forward.  "You told them what I told you the other day.  The thing I said you couldn't tell anyone."

"Errr…" Muttered Andrew as he nervously adjusted the collar of his shirt.  "Perhaps."

"Perhaps?"

"Perhaps just Raye, and only last night, so it was too late anyway.  She won't see Sere until this afternoon.  So providing you make your move today, it'll be all cool.  And you said you were going to, today I mean."

"You're an idiot Andrew."  I stated half heartily.  Though of course he was right.  In a way perhaps I'm even thankful.  Now I can't back out.  Looking at my watch I sighed.  Half hour and she'll be out of detention.

_ - _ - _ - _

"Hello Serena."

"Hi Darien, how are you-…" pausing for a moment, the girl's eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped open.

Darien smiled a little at the picture she made as she tried to gather her wits.  'I really confused her.  And yet she naturally said hello back to me with a smile.'  He thought to himself.

"Did you… did you… you just…"

"Yes Serena?  I just what?"

"Serena."

Trying his best to contain his grin, Darien continued.  "Ah, ha.  That's you…"

Slowly gaining some sense of control over her lost wits, Serena formed her first sentence since she entered the arcade.  "You just called me Serena."

Allowing a smile to grace his handsome features, Darien agreed with her statement.  "Yes, that's right, I did."

"And then you… you just agreed with me.  That's a first time for both of those."  She muttered.  Regaining a little more of her wits, Serena looked carefully up at the man who continued to infuriate her on a daily basis.  "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, fine thanks."  He answered, bestowing a beautiful smile on her to help convince her of the truth of his answer.

"Right… okay then."  As she stood before him, not fighting, she began to fidget nervously.  "Err… well… um…" she stuttered, her eyes darting around and looking at anything but the confusing man in front of her.  "I'm gonna go see the girls," she muttered a moment later, making a hasty departure.

_ - _ - _ - _

Turning around in his seat to face the counter again, Darien smiled slightly, taking a nice long sip of his coffee.

"That's your big move?"  Asked Andrew in disbelief a few moments later, after watching Darien sit still, smiling to himself.

"It's all part of the plan…"  Came Darien's sly response.  "Besides," he added, glaring half-heartily up at his best friend, "I never claimed to have a 'big move', you added that bit on yourself…"

"I did?"

"Yes.  Besides, look at her.  She can't help but continuously glance over here at me.  I'm just letting her settle down a little bit for a few minutes."

Nodding his head slightly, Andrew asked, "not afraid the girls will tell her?"

"Nope," said Darien with a grin, "it's more fun for them to watch."

_ - _ - _ - _

**Coming Soon to FF.net…**

**{{ Chapter Two }}**

Letting Her Stew…

"What on earth was that all about?"

"Yes Serena, what were you and Darien discussing?"

"Do my eyes deceive me, or are you blushing?"


	2. CHAPTER TWO: Letting Her Stew

Authors Ramble: Thanks to everyone for the reviews… sorry once again about the chapter mix up.  I got this chapter out quick as I could, not too bad for me actually though I am sorry about the wait, I am writing this as I go along, so you guys have all I've written, and the muse has just not been visiting this story…

AN: this story is First Season, AR.  I don't know if the senshi will make an appearance… probably not in this one, I'm aiming for a shorter story line… oh, and the girls are not 14, that's a little young maybe 16 or 17? I don't mind.

.

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**{{ Chapter Two }}**

Letting Her Stew…

{Narrator's Point of View}

Serena hurried to the booth the girls were in, her brow furrowed and head filled with thoughts of the man behind her.  Reaching the booth, she sighed gratefully as she slid into the seat the girls had left for her.  Happy to have reached her sanctuary, she smiled a hello to the girls.  "Hi, guys."

"What on earth was that all about?"  Asked Raye, raising an eyebrow at Serena.

"Nothing," mumbled Serena quietly, her smile falling.  Chancing a quick glance behind her, she caught Darien's gaze.  "Ahhhh," she gasped, spinning back to face the girls.  Seeing her four best friends gazing intently at her, she groaned aloud as she dropped her head onto the cold tabletop they were sitting around. 

Grinning at the other girls, Lita, who was sitting next to Serena, softly nudged the blond.  "Yes Serena, what exactly were you and Darien discussing?"

Ignoring the question, Serena, lifted her head off the table, before dropping it back.

Looking at Serena, Mina smiled.  Lifting her eyes slightly, she looked over her friend's shoulder at the two men sitting at the counter.  Catching Darien's grin, her own widened.  Leaning forward she tapped Serena lightly on her head.  "Hey… you might hurt yourself if you keep hitting your head."

"She can't possibly loose anymore brain cells…," muttered Raye.  "Can she?"  She asked quickly, glancing at Amy.

Trying to hold back her laugh, Amy answered, "No, not from hitting her head on the table.  I don't think so, anyway."

Nodding in relief, Raye turned back to Serena.  "Do my eyes deceive me, or are you blushing?"  She asked in amazement as she leant even closer to her friend in surprise.

"Oh my gosh…" gasped Lita.  "She is… wow, Darien never makes her blush."

"Flush in anger, yes.  But blush, no."  Agreed Amy with a grin as she closed her book to focus her full attention on Serena.

"So, Sere, why are you blushing?"  Asked Mina quietly, lowering her voice to a more confidential level.

"I'm not…

"Come on Serena… you can tell us," said Lita, a smile on her face.

Nodding her head, Mina leaned closer, "it'll make you feel better if you talk about it."

Finally lifting her head off the table, Serena looked around at her best friends.  Focusing on Mina, she asked "Will it really?"

Glancing at Amy with a rueful grin, Mina shrugged.  Catching the look Lita and Raye started giggling.  Realising that Mina was just trying to wheedle the information out of her, Serena dropped her head back to the table.

"Honestly Serena, I think Mina's right."  Catching everyone's stunned looks and Mina's triumphant grin, Amy continued.  "If you bottle up your emotions, it'll just eat away at you.  Talk to us, and get it off your chest."

Sighing, Serena lifted her head again, settling back into her seat she glanced around.  "Nothing… it's… well…"

"Well what?  Come on Serena… talk to us," urged Lita.

"Yeah, tell us, or we'll have to start making wild assumptions," stated Raye with a smirk, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Okay… fine," sighed Serena, relenting.  "Darien was nice."

Blinking, the girls stared at her dumbly, uncomprehending her answer.  "Huh?"  Asked Mina.

"That's it?"  Asked Raye incredulously, the other girls all giving Serena confused and disbelieving looks.

"It scared me, okay.  And I was not blushing!"  Stated Serena, a stubborn set to her shoulders.

Glancing at the others, and receiving shrugs in return, Amy began to prod into Serena's answer.  "Why was he nice?"

"How the heck should I know?"  Replied Serena shortly.

Scratching her head, perplexed, Lita asked, "What do you mean by nice?"

Shrugging in confusion, Serena risked a quick glance behind her.  Catching Darien's gaze, she spun back to the girls, her blush deepening.  "I dunno… nice.  As in not mean," she said, answering Lita's question.  "And he called me Serena!"

"Well that definitely is something," said Amy with a small smile.

"Yeah," agreed Mina.

Shaking her head, Raye furrowed her brow, "But… he's always nice…"

"Not to me!"  Argued Serena vehemently. 

Shrugging, Raye agreed with her comment, "No, true, true…"

"I think maybe he's sick… or he has… you know…con… concussion…," suggested Serena seriously.

"Maybe…," agreed Lita, hiding a grin.

Nodding her head, Amy smiled slightly, "It is a possibility."

_ - _ - _ - _

"It looks like the girls are giving Sere the third degree."  Mentioned Andy as he looked over to their table.

Nodding his head softly, Darien agreed, "No doubt."

Glancing down at his friend, Andrew took a moment to consider him.  Sitting in his normal chair at the counter, Darien seemed totally unaffected by the whole scene and even more so by the fact that the girls were hassling Serena.  Normally Darien would get angry when anyone, bar himself of course, hassled Serena.  "It doesn't bother you?"  He finally asked aloud, in slight confusion.

"Nope… they're her friends."  Answered Darien, lifting his raven head to look at his best friend.  "They won't do anything toooooo bad."

"Probably not…," agreed Andy, nodding slightly.  "So… you just gonna sit here?"

"I'm keeping an eye on her, trying to decide if I should push it anymore today…" Conceded Darien, the slight furrowing of his brow the only indication of his thoughts.

"You haven't turned around once," said Andrew in disbelief.  "Well, not after the first minute or so," he amended with a shrug.

Shrugging himself, Darien turned away from Andrew, staring forward and taking a drink of his coffee.  "That doesn't mean I can't see her."

"You have your back to her, completely," argued Andy.  "You do realise this don't you."

Glancing at Andrew, Dare grinned openly.  "Yeah, I realise.  I also know I have a mirror in front of me."

Peeking behind him at the mirror on the wall, Andy grinned broadly.  "You… you sneaky…"  Shaking his head in exasperation he continued to smile.  "How often do you use that to spy on her?"

"Ohhh… you know," answered Darien vaguely with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

Andrew glared at Dare, not happy with his answer.  "I'm not going to accept that.  I demand a proper answer."

Shrugging at his failed attempt to side step the question, Darien turned away from the mirror to look at his friend.  "All the time," he conceded with a grin, unashamed.  "That's it…" he murmured, his attention once more focussed on the mirror.

"What? Oh, she's looking at you."

"I know, she's been glancing over here, covertly for a while, but she's just decided to look straight here… now's the time to catch her."  With a grin he suddenly swivelled in his chair facing directly at the girls table across the room.  Catching Serena's eyes, he smiled.  

In response, Serena's eyes widened in fear at getting caught.  As her expression became one of a dear in the headlights of oncoming traffic, Darien's grin simply widened.

_ - _ - _ - _

AN: I promise I have already started working on the next chapter, and as I have almost finished the uni semester, it may come soon…

TamashiiHime 


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